Drug & supplement interaction

Cilantro + Apixaban

Apixaban brand name: Eliquis.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Cilantro has a moderate interaction with Apixaban. In vitro research suggests that extracts of cilantro can inhibit platelet aggregation.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Cilantro and Apixaban

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Apixaban

Apixaban falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Cilantro interacts with.

In vitro research suggests that extracts of cilantro can inhibit platelet aggregation. Theoretically, cilantro might increase the risk of bleeding when used concomitantly with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs. Some of these drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the honest picture with Eliquis (apixaban) and cilantro. Apixaban is a blood thinner that blocks clotting factor Xa, so it already lowers your body's ability to form clots. In lab dish studies, cilantro extracts seemed to make platelets (the cells that help blood clump) a little less sticky. Stack that mild effect on top of a blood thinner and, in theory, you could nudge your bleeding risk a bit higher.

I want to be clear that this is theoretical and based on test-tube work, not real patients. Eating cilantro as a food (in salsa, soups, or as a garnish) is very unlikely to cause trouble. The bigger question mark is concentrated cilantro supplements or essential oil. Just watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums, and check with your pharmacist before starting any cilantro supplement.

References
  1. Suneetha WJ, Krishnakantha TP. Antiplatelet activity of coriander and curry leaf spices. Pharm Biol. 2005;43(3):230-3. DOI

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Cilantro Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cilantro has 433 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Apixaban one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cilantro

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Cilantro. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Cilantro or Apixaban

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cilantro or Apixaban, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Apixaban

This page covers Cilantro only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Apixaban page lists 285 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Grapefruit (major), Piracetam (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 5 major · 240 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Apixaban page

“St. John's wort can weaken apixaban (Eliquis), speeding how the body clears this blood thinner and leaving you less protected from the strokes and clots it is prescribed to prevent.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Apixaban interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Cilantro and Apixaban Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Cilantro
Steady interest

#769 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Apixaban
Most looked up

#1 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Cilantro

What is Cilantro?

  • Digestive upset and bloating
  • Antimicrobial support
  • Antioxidant support
  • Heavy metal 'detox' (chelation) claims
  • Culinary flavoring

Cilantro is the leafy part of the Coriandrum sativum plant and is widely eaten as a food, where it is considered safe for most people. While it has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in lab studies, strong human evidence for any specific health benefit is lacking, and popular 'detox' claims are not well supported. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated cilantro supplements or essential oil.

Read the full Cilantro monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Apixaban

What Is Apixaban Used For?

Brand name: Eliquis

Apixaban is used to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous clots traveling through the body in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm not caused by a heart valve problem). It is also used to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT — a blood clot in the leg) in adults after hip or knee replacement surgery, and to treat DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE — a blood clot in the lungs) in adults, including reducing the risk of those clots coming back.

Eliquis (the brand-name tablet and kit) is additionally approved to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE — blood clots in the veins) and reduce the risk of recurrent VTE in pediatric patients from birth and older, after at least 5 days of initial anticoagulant treatment. The generic apixaban tablet carries the adult indications only.

See full Apixaban drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cilantro

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Cilantro — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
433Moderate
0Minor
2,396No known interaction
Moderate

433 interactions

Showing 60 of 433 moderate interactions — see all 433 on the Cilantro page.

No interaction 2,396 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cilantro and Apixaban Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cilantro with Apixaban?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Cilantro and Apixaban interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.